Sean had been through something close to hell— he’d taken out Klein Denmur and Knight Evan Sharpeyes, along with a few of Lord Truestrike’s servants, but Chastity and Lilly died on the fields outside the city. At the end of that battle, he claimed Helga Helsdottir, Soul Bonding her and renaming her Helga Oathsworn. With a Valkyrie by his side, Sean hoped never to lose another loved one to death.

His enemies were far from done with him, however. Attacks on the association and their families started, claiming lives and hurting Sean’s friends. Finished with just trying to live his life, Sean made plans to take on his enemies directly.

The turning point came when Sean confronted Denmur and his group outside the Golden Lion. Helga struck down Denmur’s champion, Knight Mithrilarm, during the ensuing duel, causing Denmur to snap. The fight left Denmur, plus dozens of others, dead.

Even that wasn’t the end— the corrupt guards in Lord Sharpeyes’ pay arrested Sean and Helga. As they were brought before Magister Amuret, Sean discovered just how far he’d pushed his enemies when he was attacked and killed in the courtroom.

Death could not stop Sean while he had energy to invoke his gifts from the Tuatha. Pushing death away, Sean got back to his feet and killed the guards and magistrate who had tried to murder him. He was brought before the unusually reasonable chief magistrate, who found Sean innocent of any wrongdoing.

Sean’s Bond with Helga gave him access to new planes, including the Bog. That was where the souls of Sean’s foes now went if they died while in combat with him. In an effort to find out more about who was directing the attacks against him, Sean paid a visit to the dead in the Bog. He was determined to end the troubles facing him, even if it meant finding a Noble Solution.

Sean had long waited for his chance to avenge his friends from Oakwood— when the time finally came, it was with several unlikely allies: High Lady Minerva Queensblood, who felt her family owed Sean for helping her son, Commander Queensblood. Advisor Mackenzie Earthfoot, who had to walk a thin line to not favor Sean too much, lest she earn the Queens’ ire.

With his friends and allies, Sean time and again thwarted Lord Truestrike and his minions. He even befriended his daughter, Dame Trisha Truestrike, giving her hope that she might one day see Darragh again. It was when Sean brought down the Greater Vampire, Luka, that High Lady Queensblood pushed for the duel Sean had long sought.

During the duel, Truestrike’s treachery was revealed when he summoned a Life Bonded dragon to kill Sean. Sean almost died a few times, but even a dragon bowed before him at the end. Ironically, it wasn’t Sean who finally killed Lord Truestrike. No, it was Trisha, who slew her father to avenge her lover, Darragh.

With Lord Truestrike’s death, Trisha was destined to take over the Truestrike House and have her son returned to her from her father’s grasp. That ended in tragedy, as the spoiled brat struck her down for ‘stealing his birthright.’ His reign only lasted as long as it took the guard to remove his head from his shoulders.

But more bad news was waiting— the scribes had sent messages to the Queens. Both Winter and Summer were coming, and Sean wouldn’t be able to avoid them. That put him on the clock to pull off what the stories had said he would do: find the Huntsman.

To manage that, he’d need to figure out how to open a portal back to Earth. If he did, Sean would likely find an old enemy waiting for him; Thor hadn’t forgotten the slights against his name, and he wanted revenge.

Time was ticking away, and Sean had to work fast. His wives, especially Fiona, were counting on him. Sean had never backed down from a challenge, and he wasn’t about to start now. He’d either figure out how to create a portal, or he’d end up facing the Queens on less than diplomatic terms.